If you've ever searched for anything online, you have no doubt read online reviews for it. Whether it is a piece of clothing, an electronic item or a store or professional service, there are reviews for it.
As an aware consumer, you need to be skeptical of all user reviews because of the anonymous nature of the Internet and the competitive nature of some businesses (like computer repair).
If there are 'tons' of negative reviews for a business and few positive reviews, check to see if the negative reviews were posted within a day or two of each other. If there were really that many unhappy customers, the reviews would be spread out and what the people said would be different from review to review (fake reviews tend to say the same thing over and over again).
Also, check the website of the person or company involve to see if the complaints mention thing that the company actually does; for instance, if the website says they never give estimates, but all the reviews claim that the final charge was "over the estimate", its probably a fake review posted by a competitor.
Also, check other review sites, and see if the review are more even somewhere else.
There, now you are a more informed and knowledgeable consumer.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Some things to know about Windows 7
Hardware Minimums:
Yes, you need to know what hardware you machine has, in order to know whether you can put Win 7 on it. These requirements are for the lowest amount of acceptable operation.
These requirements are (as I have tested them):
Next time, can you just put Windows 7 in the computer and say "Go!"?
Yes, you need to know what hardware you machine has, in order to know whether you can put Win 7 on it. These requirements are for the lowest amount of acceptable operation.
These requirements are (as I have tested them):
- A CPU of 1.5 Ghz or better. You find this out by right-clicking on My Computer, going the list and clicking on Properties. This will also tell you how much RAM you have.
- 1 GB of RAM. There doesnt seem to be appreciable lag in opening programs with this amount of RAM installed. At least half of you have this amount already; the rest will need to spend the $40 to meet this requirement.
- A 20 GB hard drive or larger. Since even the cheapest computer these days comes with at least 40 GB or more, you should be fine without even looking.
- A video card that is DirectX 9.0 hardware compliant. If you have a installed a video card at any time in the last three years, you are OK. Dont know if you have a video card? Look at the back of your tower; if the blue cable is coming from near the bottom, you do. If the cable is coming from the top(or top of the middle area), you dont. But thats OK, video cards are very inexpensive (unless you intend to play video games or start editing movies).
- A DVD drive. Also very cheap.
Next time, can you just put Windows 7 in the computer and say "Go!"?
Windows 7
Windows 7 comes out today; I will be buying it (if not today, then soon).
Will you, my vast reading audience, also be buying Windows 7? Will you buy the boxed software and keep your current hardware, or will you buy an entirely new computer?
If you are wondering whether you should or not, the answer is Yes, if your budget allows.
I have said previously that Windows 7 is a worthwhile product based on other peoples reviews and a limited amount of my own testing. I think that it deserves the chance to prove to you that it is safer than XP, as easy to use as XP(after the somewhat short learning curve), and at least as fast as XP.
And no, I dont work for Microsoft, nor have I been compensated for saying nice things about Windows.
Will you, my vast reading audience, also be buying Windows 7? Will you buy the boxed software and keep your current hardware, or will you buy an entirely new computer?
If you are wondering whether you should or not, the answer is Yes, if your budget allows.
I have said previously that Windows 7 is a worthwhile product based on other peoples reviews and a limited amount of my own testing. I think that it deserves the chance to prove to you that it is safer than XP, as easy to use as XP(after the somewhat short learning curve), and at least as fast as XP.
And no, I dont work for Microsoft, nor have I been compensated for saying nice things about Windows.
I Know I've Said This Before, But...
If you search Craigslist for computer help, you will find dozens of ads for people only too willing to help out with your troubles, myself included.
What concerns me is when I see an ad that says "Hi, I am an experienced computer person, but I dont want to tell you who I am, give you any sense I really might know what I am doing or give you any actual contact information." The ads dont actually say that, of course; but it is the sense one gets from reading them.
It is quite possible that I get this sense only because they are competing with me for business, but I dont think so. I am quite happy to share the large customer base around here, but... I would prefer that people selling a service to people who may not know any better at least provide a phone number, if not an email address and a website address, instead of using Craigslists anonymous email system.
How does anyone know that this anonymous person on Craigslist is who they claim to be if the only contact is through an anonymous email?
I know, I am just being paranoid, but it still bugs me. Am I right to be this concerned, or not?
What concerns me is when I see an ad that says "Hi, I am an experienced computer person, but I dont want to tell you who I am, give you any sense I really might know what I am doing or give you any actual contact information." The ads dont actually say that, of course; but it is the sense one gets from reading them.
It is quite possible that I get this sense only because they are competing with me for business, but I dont think so. I am quite happy to share the large customer base around here, but... I would prefer that people selling a service to people who may not know any better at least provide a phone number, if not an email address and a website address, instead of using Craigslists anonymous email system.
How does anyone know that this anonymous person on Craigslist is who they claim to be if the only contact is through an anonymous email?
I know, I am just being paranoid, but it still bugs me. Am I right to be this concerned, or not?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Device driver not installing?
If you are installing a device driver for a new piece of hardware, or more often, installing the same driver as part of a re-installation process, you may find that the installer will run but the driver wont install.
There are many reasons for this, but, more importantly, the question is 'if the installer program wont install the driver, how do I get the driver put in?'
The answer is to go to Device Manager, find the piece of hardware you are installing, right-click on it and click on 'Update Driver'. Then you follow the prompts, browse for your device driver, and click OK.
This should allow the driver to be installed.
There are many reasons for this, but, more importantly, the question is 'if the installer program wont install the driver, how do I get the driver put in?'
The answer is to go to Device Manager, find the piece of hardware you are installing, right-click on it and click on 'Update Driver'. Then you follow the prompts, browse for your device driver, and click OK.
This should allow the driver to be installed.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Cats are bad for laptops
Especially when they urinate on the keyboard when no-one is looking.
If you have a laptop, and are not sure of your kitty's temperament, always close the screen on your laptop when you walk away from or are not using it.
If you notice any sort of liquid on your laptop, and it is running, turn it off. DO NOT move your laptop or attempt to drain off the liquid; there are enough cracks and seams on the face of a laptop that any movement will allow the liquid the run inside and cause additional damage.
Instead, take a paper towel or anything handy that is absorbent and pat up the liquid. Once you have patted up all the liquid you can see, remove the battery while keeping the laptop as level as possible.
If the liquid appears clear and is thought to be water, let the laptop sit open so the water can evaporate.
If the liquid appears colored, pat up all the liquid you can, then get a hand towel or several paper towels and lay them over the wet area and gently close the lid.
What we want to happen is that the weight of the lid will force the towel(s) close enough to any remaining liquid so that over the course of several hours or overnight the towel(s) will soak up any remaining liquid.
After letting the laptop sit, replace the battery and attempt to start Windows. If Windows does not start normally, shut down the laptop, remove the battery and call a repair person.
And pray that your backups are up to date. You have been making backups of everything you can't lose, havent you?
If you have a laptop, and are not sure of your kitty's temperament, always close the screen on your laptop when you walk away from or are not using it.
If you notice any sort of liquid on your laptop, and it is running, turn it off. DO NOT move your laptop or attempt to drain off the liquid; there are enough cracks and seams on the face of a laptop that any movement will allow the liquid the run inside and cause additional damage.
Instead, take a paper towel or anything handy that is absorbent and pat up the liquid. Once you have patted up all the liquid you can see, remove the battery while keeping the laptop as level as possible.
If the liquid appears clear and is thought to be water, let the laptop sit open so the water can evaporate.
If the liquid appears colored, pat up all the liquid you can, then get a hand towel or several paper towels and lay them over the wet area and gently close the lid.
What we want to happen is that the weight of the lid will force the towel(s) close enough to any remaining liquid so that over the course of several hours or overnight the towel(s) will soak up any remaining liquid.
After letting the laptop sit, replace the battery and attempt to start Windows. If Windows does not start normally, shut down the laptop, remove the battery and call a repair person.
And pray that your backups are up to date. You have been making backups of everything you can't lose, havent you?
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Is this the year of Microsoft's success?
I think the answer is Yes.
When you consider that the 3 major products that Microsoft is releasing this year, Windows 7, Bing! search, and Security Essentials(code-named 'Morro'), have all gotten positive reviews by some of the biggest critics of Microsoft, it looks Microsoft has achieved something truly memorable for the company and its products.
Windows 7 has become more than 'just Vista Service Pack 2'; Microsoft has improved all of the things that worked about Vista to make them easier to use, fixed or otherwise adjusted all of the things that Vista's critics felt were unusable.
The smallest amount of computer hardware needed to run Windows 7, and have it not feel like swimming through molasses, is equivalent to what Windows XP was running on when Vista was released (2 Ghz CPU, 1GB of RAM, and video hardware capable of running Direct X 9).
This is like running tomorrows high-needs programs on a three year old computer and never noticing the difference in speed.
Bing! search is now what Google was like to begin with but with all of the knowledge of what people want and how they look for it. Bing! isnt quite as good as Google, yet, but there are some areas where the supplemental information that Bing! provides alongside the search results make it as or more useful than the same search on Google.
Search engine reviewers say that if Microsoft focuses on making Bing! searches better, rather than more marketable or whatever Microsoft usually does that turns a bright idea into garbage, that in 2 years Bing! will be a serious competitor to Google.
Don't hold your breath on that, though; this is Microsoft we're talking about here. They somehow always find some way to turn a diamond into glass.
Microsoft's Security Essentials software, which is their latest attempt at serious and effective protection software, is a suite of programs that includes anti-virus, firewall and anti-spyware.
It appears that the third time really is a charm for Microsoft's attempts at security software; reviewers who have tried out the test, or 'beta', release have had positive things to say about it.
Which is unusual for an industry which has grown accustomed to warning people about avoiding certain Microsoft programs.
There you have it; the very real possibility of Microsoft having a year of successes for the first time since Windows 95, perhaps for the first time in the company's history.
When you consider that the 3 major products that Microsoft is releasing this year, Windows 7, Bing! search, and Security Essentials(code-named 'Morro'), have all gotten positive reviews by some of the biggest critics of Microsoft, it looks Microsoft has achieved something truly memorable for the company and its products.
Windows 7 has become more than 'just Vista Service Pack 2'; Microsoft has improved all of the things that worked about Vista to make them easier to use, fixed or otherwise adjusted all of the things that Vista's critics felt were unusable.
The smallest amount of computer hardware needed to run Windows 7, and have it not feel like swimming through molasses, is equivalent to what Windows XP was running on when Vista was released (2 Ghz CPU, 1GB of RAM, and video hardware capable of running Direct X 9).
This is like running tomorrows high-needs programs on a three year old computer and never noticing the difference in speed.
Bing! search is now what Google was like to begin with but with all of the knowledge of what people want and how they look for it. Bing! isnt quite as good as Google, yet, but there are some areas where the supplemental information that Bing! provides alongside the search results make it as or more useful than the same search on Google.
Search engine reviewers say that if Microsoft focuses on making Bing! searches better, rather than more marketable or whatever Microsoft usually does that turns a bright idea into garbage, that in 2 years Bing! will be a serious competitor to Google.
Don't hold your breath on that, though; this is Microsoft we're talking about here. They somehow always find some way to turn a diamond into glass.
Microsoft's Security Essentials software, which is their latest attempt at serious and effective protection software, is a suite of programs that includes anti-virus, firewall and anti-spyware.
It appears that the third time really is a charm for Microsoft's attempts at security software; reviewers who have tried out the test, or 'beta', release have had positive things to say about it.
Which is unusual for an industry which has grown accustomed to warning people about avoiding certain Microsoft programs.
There you have it; the very real possibility of Microsoft having a year of successes for the first time since Windows 95, perhaps for the first time in the company's history.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Craigslist competitors
Like a lot of computer repair guys, I advertise on Craigslist. Craigslist is a goood way to get a listing in front of the public, and I get a fair amount of work from my ads on Craigslist.
What frustrates me the most are people who say that a computer problem can be fixed in minutes, and for tiny amounts of money (free to 20/hr.)
I know I shouldnt, but I worry about the quality of service that these people, some of whom admit that computer repair is 'just a hobby', are providing their customers.
People trust advertisers on Craigslist more than they should, so a 'computer repair guy' who doesnt give a name, phone number or website could be looking for homes to rob. Probably not, but any reputable serviceperson, whether janitor, handyman, plumber, landscaper etc. provides information about themselves so that potential customers can see that they are "real".
Lest someone think that I am merely complaining because of being undercut, I am not. Anybody has the ability to advertise on Craigslist and it is up to me to make my ad more compelling than the next persons ad.
Even so, I wonder about some of these ads I see. What with the poor grammar, poor spelling and no contact information its a good thing these people arent trying to to make a living.
As far as the obvious competitors go, more power to them; every de-virused computer make the Internet safer for all of us.
What frustrates me the most are people who say that a computer problem can be fixed in minutes, and for tiny amounts of money (free to 20/hr.)
I know I shouldnt, but I worry about the quality of service that these people, some of whom admit that computer repair is 'just a hobby', are providing their customers.
People trust advertisers on Craigslist more than they should, so a 'computer repair guy' who doesnt give a name, phone number or website could be looking for homes to rob. Probably not, but any reputable serviceperson, whether janitor, handyman, plumber, landscaper etc. provides information about themselves so that potential customers can see that they are "real".
Lest someone think that I am merely complaining because of being undercut, I am not. Anybody has the ability to advertise on Craigslist and it is up to me to make my ad more compelling than the next persons ad.
Even so, I wonder about some of these ads I see. What with the poor grammar, poor spelling and no contact information its a good thing these people arent trying to to make a living.
As far as the obvious competitors go, more power to them; every de-virused computer make the Internet safer for all of us.
Friday, June 26, 2009
New Places To Find Me
Well, I've gone and done it. I have just now registered on Yelp, signed up for Twitter and now have a Facebook page.
I guess I've truly joined the 21st Century now.
You can expect to see new posts there as often as there are new posts here...
I guess I've truly joined the 21st Century now.
You can expect to see new posts there as often as there are new posts here...
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Amd vs. Intel
AMD has long been the second-best CPU maker in the computer industry, behind Intel (maker of Pentium CPU's). A few years ago, when AMD came out with its Athlon line of CPU's, they took first place in the race to be best chipmaker.
After the release of the Athlon CPU's, Intel came out with several less than outstanding chips, allowing AMD to rest on its laurels as fastest chipmaker.
But, while AMD was resting on its laurels, Intel came out with a plan to release newer, better and faster chips every year and a half, while shrinking the size of the CPU and adding more stuff to them.
And so Intel has done exactly what they said they would, much to AMD's chagrin. In order to catch up, AMD has done several things, some very risky, which has led to new and underperforming CPU releases.
But now, it appears that AMD may finally have caught up to Intel with their new Phenom II CPU.
Revies are underway; if you are a gamer, you may want to check this chip out for your next system.
After the release of the Athlon CPU's, Intel came out with several less than outstanding chips, allowing AMD to rest on its laurels as fastest chipmaker.
But, while AMD was resting on its laurels, Intel came out with a plan to release newer, better and faster chips every year and a half, while shrinking the size of the CPU and adding more stuff to them.
And so Intel has done exactly what they said they would, much to AMD's chagrin. In order to catch up, AMD has done several things, some very risky, which has led to new and underperforming CPU releases.
But now, it appears that AMD may finally have caught up to Intel with their new Phenom II CPU.
Revies are underway; if you are a gamer, you may want to check this chip out for your next system.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
More Windows 7
Once i fixed my boot problems, the actual installation of Windows went fairly smoothly, wiuth the exception of one error message saying that my blank hard drive was not bootable. Once I got that issue sorted out, the install went quickly.
There is not alot of movement on screen to make it look like something is happening; you sort of take it on faith that Windows is doing its thing.
There are three steps Windows goes through in its installation routine:
Gathering information, Installing, and Finishing Up.
The installation is said to take about a half an hour. I didnt time mine so I cant say whether that is true. The installation did take a lot less time than Windows XP, and I was able to walk away without fear that something horrible would happen if I did not babysit it.
Once installed, Windows asks for the serial number ("Product Key") asks asks a few general setup questions, including 'do you want to activate the first time you are online?'
When the desktop comes up, which seems quite quick compared to Vista and XP, the default resolution (with a video card installed but no drivers) is a reasonable 1024 x 768. With drivers installed, the resolution increases to the native resolution of the monitor; in my case i have a 15 inch monitor with a 1200dpi resolution.
There is not alot of movement on screen to make it look like something is happening; you sort of take it on faith that Windows is doing its thing.
There are three steps Windows goes through in its installation routine:
Gathering information, Installing, and Finishing Up.
The installation is said to take about a half an hour. I didnt time mine so I cant say whether that is true. The installation did take a lot less time than Windows XP, and I was able to walk away without fear that something horrible would happen if I did not babysit it.
Once installed, Windows asks for the serial number ("Product Key") asks asks a few general setup questions, including 'do you want to activate the first time you are online?'
When the desktop comes up, which seems quite quick compared to Vista and XP, the default resolution (with a video card installed but no drivers) is a reasonable 1024 x 768. With drivers installed, the resolution increases to the native resolution of the monitor; in my case i have a 15 inch monitor with a 1200dpi resolution.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Installing Windows 7
I've just installed Windows 7 on an old computer to see if it could be done.
The installation is large enough that it requires a DVD, and a DVD drive. The only problem with that is that older computer generally cant boot from a DVD.
Windows 7 was designed to be installed on top of (or beside) an existing operating system, one that has DVD drivers already loaded.
To get around this limitation, I found it was possible to use a Vista Repair Disk that Microsoft provides. It has the bootloader and DVD drivers necessary to load Windows from the DVD.
My Windows 7 installation is running on an AMD Athlon 1.1 Ghz cpu, with 1GB of RAM and a Radeon 9550 video card.
The installation is large enough that it requires a DVD, and a DVD drive. The only problem with that is that older computer generally cant boot from a DVD.
Windows 7 was designed to be installed on top of (or beside) an existing operating system, one that has DVD drivers already loaded.
To get around this limitation, I found it was possible to use a Vista Repair Disk that Microsoft provides. It has the bootloader and DVD drivers necessary to load Windows from the DVD.
My Windows 7 installation is running on an AMD Athlon 1.1 Ghz cpu, with 1GB of RAM and a Radeon 9550 video card.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
People Search Engines
There are new search engines on the Web now that will attempt to find anyone based on the information you have already given out in various locations.
If you have a Facebook page, a Twitter account or other type of publicly available account where you list things you wouldnt normally want strangers seeing, be careful to adjust your privacy settings.
One such search site, Spokeo, boasts that it will "uncover personal photos, videos and secrets" that are "juicy" and "mouth-watering." If you dont want to be the next person who inadvertently ends up on the evening news, be careful what you put online.
If you have a Facebook page, a Twitter account or other type of publicly available account where you list things you wouldnt normally want strangers seeing, be careful to adjust your privacy settings.
One such search site, Spokeo, boasts that it will "uncover personal photos, videos and secrets" that are "juicy" and "mouth-watering." If you dont want to be the next person who inadvertently ends up on the evening news, be careful what you put online.
Trojan Troubles: The Results
My customer had an ultra-portable laptop (that I had initially confused with a netbook) that he thought had trojan horse programs on it, and he wanted them removed and the laptop fixed.
He did have trojans; and viruses and spyware. Multiples. One of them had lodged inside the 'winlogon' service that allows you in to the desktop, and I couldnt remove it.
Usually this calls for formatting the hard drive and re-installing Windows. Not an exceptionally hard thing to do. Except in this case. No version of Windows that I installed would work properly; none of my three versions would install properly, nor his.
Upon further investigation, it turns out that Dell had (has?) some kind of mechanism that prevents people from re-installing Windows on that model of laptop without the specific Recovery Disk that came with the computer(or Recovery Partition).
Afterwards, I returned the laptop to the customer, letting him know what I had done, what I had found out and what his options might be.
He did have trojans; and viruses and spyware. Multiples. One of them had lodged inside the 'winlogon' service that allows you in to the desktop, and I couldnt remove it.
Usually this calls for formatting the hard drive and re-installing Windows. Not an exceptionally hard thing to do. Except in this case. No version of Windows that I installed would work properly; none of my three versions would install properly, nor his.
Upon further investigation, it turns out that Dell had (has?) some kind of mechanism that prevents people from re-installing Windows on that model of laptop without the specific Recovery Disk that came with the computer(or Recovery Partition).
Afterwards, I returned the laptop to the customer, letting him know what I had done, what I had found out and what his options might be.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Trojan Troubles
A customer has just called wanting me to get rid of a pesky trojan horse for him.
For this I usually boot into Safe Mode and use MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware program.
Results later.
For this I usually boot into Safe Mode and use MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware program.
Results later.
Troubleshooting 101
The other day, I had a customer ask to me to fix his sound. This called for Troubleshooting 101; figure out and solve the problem.
First, is there a defined problem? Yes; "the sound doesnt work."
Second, is the problem hardware, software or both? In this case, both.
Third, check the software:
Is the volume muted? Yes/No
Is the volume turned all the down, or otherwise turned off? Yes/No
Then check the hardware:
Are the speakers on? Yes/No
If no, are the speakers plugged in to power?
Are the speakers plugged into the computer? The correct plug?
Finally, check all other connections. Follow all cords to make sure everything is plugged in to its proper place, including sub-woofers and surround-sound.
If none of this works, then it is time to check for device driver errors. But that is Troubleshooting 102.
As it turned out, my customer had unplugged his sub-woofers power cord, and that had unplugged his speakers. So, I plugged the sub-woofer in and all was well.
First, is there a defined problem? Yes; "the sound doesnt work."
Second, is the problem hardware, software or both? In this case, both.
Third, check the software:
Is the volume muted? Yes/No
Is the volume turned all the down, or otherwise turned off? Yes/No
Then check the hardware:
Are the speakers on? Yes/No
If no, are the speakers plugged in to power?
Are the speakers plugged into the computer? The correct plug?
Finally, check all other connections. Follow all cords to make sure everything is plugged in to its proper place, including sub-woofers and surround-sound.
If none of this works, then it is time to check for device driver errors. But that is Troubleshooting 102.
As it turned out, my customer had unplugged his sub-woofers power cord, and that had unplugged his speakers. So, I plugged the sub-woofer in and all was well.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Why Updating Windows Is Important
You might think that with all of today's security measures for your computer, that massive virus outbreaks are a thing of the past, but you would be wrong.
Right now, there is a worm called Conficker (also called Downadup) that is exploiting missing Windows patches. What Conficker does is allow other infected computers to attack yours, which would allow your computer to be taken over in turn and used to attack yet more computers.
Conficker has also been seen to allow downloads of fake antivirus programs that attempt to scare you into buying the fake program, when then gives your credit card number to criminals.
Windows Updates are an important part of keeping your computer healthy. I know that sometimes the update notifier can be annoying and a nag, but it really is important that you let your computer be updated.
If you are in the middle of an important project, let it go until you are done; but then find a time when your computer is not busy and install the updates.
Right now, there is a worm called Conficker (also called Downadup) that is exploiting missing Windows patches. What Conficker does is allow other infected computers to attack yours, which would allow your computer to be taken over in turn and used to attack yet more computers.
Conficker has also been seen to allow downloads of fake antivirus programs that attempt to scare you into buying the fake program, when then gives your credit card number to criminals.
Windows Updates are an important part of keeping your computer healthy. I know that sometimes the update notifier can be annoying and a nag, but it really is important that you let your computer be updated.
If you are in the middle of an important project, let it go until you are done; but then find a time when your computer is not busy and install the updates.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Beware the fake stimulus
Email scams are nothing new; for example, look at the 'Nigerian Prince' (aka 419) emails.
But with the down economy, email scammers have a new tack, the 'fake stimulus' email. Because so many people are in trouble, either with their mortgage or with jobs and money in general, people are willing to be more gullible than ever if it means that they have a chance a getting some of the government stimulus money.
Emails are going out that look and sound official, as if some heretofore unknown government agency was telling people how to apply for government assistance. These emails do not come from a .gov address, nor do they have any official seals on them(even though a govt. seal is easy to fake).
People are just very willing right now to take a strangers word that this stranger knows how to get government stimulus money, that they are willing to share it with you, and it will only cost you a small administrative fee.
You should know by now that any email that says they know a secret way to get money from the government is fake, and a scam.
And, in addition, any email that asks for money is crooked and will only get you in trouble. Not with the government, but with your wallet.
So dont believe it. There is no stimulus money being given out to individual citizens. Even if there was, the government would not send you an anonymous email telling you so.
But with the down economy, email scammers have a new tack, the 'fake stimulus' email. Because so many people are in trouble, either with their mortgage or with jobs and money in general, people are willing to be more gullible than ever if it means that they have a chance a getting some of the government stimulus money.
Emails are going out that look and sound official, as if some heretofore unknown government agency was telling people how to apply for government assistance. These emails do not come from a .gov address, nor do they have any official seals on them(even though a govt. seal is easy to fake).
People are just very willing right now to take a strangers word that this stranger knows how to get government stimulus money, that they are willing to share it with you, and it will only cost you a small administrative fee.
You should know by now that any email that says they know a secret way to get money from the government is fake, and a scam.
And, in addition, any email that asks for money is crooked and will only get you in trouble. Not with the government, but with your wallet.
So dont believe it. There is no stimulus money being given out to individual citizens. Even if there was, the government would not send you an anonymous email telling you so.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Why doesnt my Wi-fi work
If you live in an old house, that is, really old, your walls are probably made of a combination of hardwood sticks and a cement-like mortar; this is called 'lathe and plaster'.
Tests on wi-fi signal strengths have shown that lathe and plaster walls are so dense that they reflect the radio signals that make up your wi-fi signal. The next worse thing to have in your walls between you and your router are metal ductwork. The metal of the ductwork also reflects the radio signals.
The solution is one of two things: buy a stronger router(or a booster for your existing one), or move the router closer to where you want to work.
If you go the new router route, you will want to buy an "N" router(that means 802.11n, Draft 2.0); these are the newest and strongest routers, designed to bounce the signal around obstacles.
Tests on wi-fi signal strengths have shown that lathe and plaster walls are so dense that they reflect the radio signals that make up your wi-fi signal. The next worse thing to have in your walls between you and your router are metal ductwork. The metal of the ductwork also reflects the radio signals.
The solution is one of two things: buy a stronger router(or a booster for your existing one), or move the router closer to where you want to work.
If you go the new router route, you will want to buy an "N" router(that means 802.11n, Draft 2.0); these are the newest and strongest routers, designed to bounce the signal around obstacles.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Printing (or not) from Mac's to PC's
Yesterday I had a customer whose daughter had an older iMac who wanted to print over the network to a printer hooked to a PC.
The PC was an older Dell and the printer was an older Dell All-In-One. Dell printers are made by Lexmark, the printer software is made by Lexmark, but the printer drivers are written by Dell.
(Drivers are small pieces of software that tell a piece of hardware how to operate; in this case how to print a document.)
It turns out that the Dell AIO did not have Macintosh drivers. The Mac could see the PC (who was acting as a print server), could send the print job to the PC, the printer would say "printing" and yet nothing happened.
The moral of the story: make sure your PC's printer has Mac drivers available.
The PC was an older Dell and the printer was an older Dell All-In-One. Dell printers are made by Lexmark, the printer software is made by Lexmark, but the printer drivers are written by Dell.
(Drivers are small pieces of software that tell a piece of hardware how to operate; in this case how to print a document.)
It turns out that the Dell AIO did not have Macintosh drivers. The Mac could see the PC (who was acting as a print server), could send the print job to the PC, the printer would say "printing" and yet nothing happened.
The moral of the story: make sure your PC's printer has Mac drivers available.
Monday, February 23, 2009
More on the fake Anti-virus front
I've talked before about fake anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. Normally you can write down the name of the suspicious program and Google it or go to respected review sites for answers.
Now, maybe not.
The newest fake anti-virus, Antivirus-1 or AntiVirus2010, will change the listing of known good websites contained in your browser(this is called the hosts file), and if you try to go to a well-known website like PC magazine, ZD Net, etc. the fake antivirus will re-direct your browser to a fake site controlled by the virus' author, where it will show glowing, wonderful reviews about the fake anti-virus program.
The best way to avoid this is to have a good anti-virus program running and updated. Also, it is good to be suspicious of any program you dont remember installing.
Now, maybe not.
The newest fake anti-virus, Antivirus-1 or AntiVirus2010, will change the listing of known good websites contained in your browser(this is called the hosts file), and if you try to go to a well-known website like PC magazine, ZD Net, etc. the fake antivirus will re-direct your browser to a fake site controlled by the virus' author, where it will show glowing, wonderful reviews about the fake anti-virus program.
The best way to avoid this is to have a good anti-virus program running and updated. Also, it is good to be suspicious of any program you dont remember installing.
Monday, February 16, 2009
New Security Threats
It seems like there are always more threats to look out for. Today, some new ones you might not have heard of.
Variations on 'phishing': Voicemail and Twitter.
Voicemail Phishing ("vishing"): A voicemail call (sometimes called a 'robo-call') from your bank or a company you've recently done business with telling you that a large transaction, usually something you havent done, has been held up.
The call includes a tol free number tha tyou are asked to call right away to fix the problem. Once you do, a voice menu prompts you to key in your credit card number, as well as the expiration date and 3-digit security code on the back. After which, the caller is usually hung up on, or placed on terminal hold.
Twitter Phishing ("twishing"): A fake tweet (blog posts on Twitter are called 'tweets') is sent to your account with a link that supposedly sends you somewhere harmless, such as youtube or Flickr, but really sends you to a fake login page where you are asked to give up all of your info.
Variations on 'phishing': Voicemail and Twitter.
Voicemail Phishing ("vishing"): A voicemail call (sometimes called a 'robo-call') from your bank or a company you've recently done business with telling you that a large transaction, usually something you havent done, has been held up.
The call includes a tol free number tha tyou are asked to call right away to fix the problem. Once you do, a voice menu prompts you to key in your credit card number, as well as the expiration date and 3-digit security code on the back. After which, the caller is usually hung up on, or placed on terminal hold.
Twitter Phishing ("twishing"): A fake tweet (blog posts on Twitter are called 'tweets') is sent to your account with a link that supposedly sends you somewhere harmless, such as youtube or Flickr, but really sends you to a fake login page where you are asked to give up all of your info.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Power Leeches
PC World had an article recently about electronic gadget and how much power they consume even when turned off, or even when just the charger is plugged in but not charging anything.
It appears that the answer to "should I turn my computer off at night?" is "only if you want to save money on your power bill." The tower itself consumes about $7 dollars a month if you leave it on 24/7. Your entire computer setup (tower, monitor, speakers, etc) can cost you as much as $60 month; even in 'power-save' mode.
It appears that the answer to "should I turn my computer off at night?" is "only if you want to save money on your power bill." The tower itself consumes about $7 dollars a month if you leave it on 24/7. Your entire computer setup (tower, monitor, speakers, etc) can cost you as much as $60 month; even in 'power-save' mode.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Un-dunking your cell phone
If you've ever dunked, washed, or otherwise immersed your phone in water, you feel like you've lost everything. But what if you could undo the dunking?
Take your freshly dunked phone, get a cooking pot or deep bowl, fill it full of uncooked rice. Submerge the phone in the rice and leave it there for a few hours or overnight.
Afterward, it should work as normal.
It needs to be noted, however, that this is not guaranteed to work; but it should.
And now, a couple of things that you should definitely not do with a wet phone:
Take your freshly dunked phone, get a cooking pot or deep bowl, fill it full of uncooked rice. Submerge the phone in the rice and leave it there for a few hours or overnight.
Afterward, it should work as normal.
It needs to be noted, however, that this is not guaranteed to work; but it should.
And now, a couple of things that you should definitely not do with a wet phone:
- Use a hair dryer to dry it off. The heat can damage components.
- Put it in the microwave. The metal will spark and internal components can short out, so even if they were to dry, they would be fried.
- Leaving it out to air dry. This would work with a CRT monitor, but not with a phone; the water would have no where to go, and could continue damaging internal components.
Blue Screen Errors
Sometimes fixing similar Blue Screen of Death(BSoD) error messages isnt as easy as it seems.
When you have an IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error, the first thing you do is swap out the RAM; but when you add DRIVER_IRQL to the error message, it becomes much harder.
You might think, as I did, swap out the RAM first. That doesnt work. You might also think that there is a driver issue, after all, the error message says 'driver' in it.
Ok, but which driver? In my case, it was a video problem. Changing the video driver didnt help.
Now, you might be thinking, Google for the answer. I did; at least 4 different answers, including Microsoft's. All of them suggested something besides the RAM and the video drivers; so I tried them all (Microsoft's answer was to change the video drivers).
After everything was tried, I used System Restore and went back further than the time the problem had occurred. I got the rid of the video problem, but the Blue Screen remained.
If you know a definitive answer, I'd love to hear it.
When you have an IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error, the first thing you do is swap out the RAM; but when you add DRIVER_IRQL to the error message, it becomes much harder.
You might think, as I did, swap out the RAM first. That doesnt work. You might also think that there is a driver issue, after all, the error message says 'driver' in it.
Ok, but which driver? In my case, it was a video problem. Changing the video driver didnt help.
Now, you might be thinking, Google for the answer. I did; at least 4 different answers, including Microsoft's. All of them suggested something besides the RAM and the video drivers; so I tried them all (Microsoft's answer was to change the video drivers).
After everything was tried, I used System Restore and went back further than the time the problem had occurred. I got the rid of the video problem, but the Blue Screen remained.
If you know a definitive answer, I'd love to hear it.
Friday, January 30, 2009
A Bad Valentine
There is an email currently making the rounds that has a Valentines Day-themed romantic message. The email has only one or two lines of text and a link to a web page.
Surely, I dont need to remind you NOT to click on any links in mysterious or spam emails, do I?
But, if you do need the reminder, and you DID click the link, it takes you to a web-page full of cute little hearts and a message that says "Guess which one is for you?" If you click anywhere on or near the heart pictures, you will be asked to run a program. This program is a virus, and it will 'zombify' your computer(allow someone from the Internet to take remote control).
The virus doesnt happen automatically; the email contains no virus, visiting the website will not automatically virus your computer(as can sometimes happen), YOU must download and run the virus. You will even be asked 'are you sure?' If you are using the Firefox browser, you will be asked twice.
So why the concern? Because in the month the email has been circulating, the amount of infected computers has been steadily rising.
So dont click the link! If you do, dont click on the webpage! If you do, dont run the program!
If, after all of this, you do run the program, save up some money for the sooner-rather-than-later repair you will need.
Surely, I dont need to remind you NOT to click on any links in mysterious or spam emails, do I?
But, if you do need the reminder, and you DID click the link, it takes you to a web-page full of cute little hearts and a message that says "Guess which one is for you?" If you click anywhere on or near the heart pictures, you will be asked to run a program. This program is a virus, and it will 'zombify' your computer(allow someone from the Internet to take remote control).
The virus doesnt happen automatically; the email contains no virus, visiting the website will not automatically virus your computer(as can sometimes happen), YOU must download and run the virus. You will even be asked 'are you sure?' If you are using the Firefox browser, you will be asked twice.
So why the concern? Because in the month the email has been circulating, the amount of infected computers has been steadily rising.
So dont click the link! If you do, dont click on the webpage! If you do, dont run the program!
If, after all of this, you do run the program, save up some money for the sooner-rather-than-later repair you will need.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
What you might not know about the Digital Transition
With all of this talk about the transition to digital over-the-air broadcasting, some things have gotten lost. There is some confusion about what needs to be replaced, or added, or whatnot.
First, you do not need to replace your TV; your TV will work just as well as it ever has, but unless it can receive the new TV signal you wont be able to watch any programs.
With current over the air broadcasts, which are called analog (because they're simple radio waves), if you receive a weak signal it shows up as static, and you can try to tune in a better signal.
With digital broadcast signals, there is no 'weak' signal, it is either strong and bright or not there at all. If you live in a place where your current TV signal is weak, you will receive no signal at all after the changeover.
Consumer Reports suggests that if you receive the error message from a digital tuner(the add-on box you will need to receive the new TV signal) that says "weak signal" that you get a bigger antenna, move your current antenna near to a window, or to a higher point in your house, such as an attic, or buy a signal booster (which you can attach to the TV).
If you live in a Comcast service area, they are required to sell over the air channels at low cost (sometimes as low $11/mo); however, they are not required to tell customers that this service is available; you will have to ask for it.
First, you do not need to replace your TV; your TV will work just as well as it ever has, but unless it can receive the new TV signal you wont be able to watch any programs.
With current over the air broadcasts, which are called analog (because they're simple radio waves), if you receive a weak signal it shows up as static, and you can try to tune in a better signal.
With digital broadcast signals, there is no 'weak' signal, it is either strong and bright or not there at all. If you live in a place where your current TV signal is weak, you will receive no signal at all after the changeover.
Consumer Reports suggests that if you receive the error message from a digital tuner(the add-on box you will need to receive the new TV signal) that says "weak signal" that you get a bigger antenna, move your current antenna near to a window, or to a higher point in your house, such as an attic, or buy a signal booster (which you can attach to the TV).
If you live in a Comcast service area, they are required to sell over the air channels at low cost (sometimes as low $11/mo); however, they are not required to tell customers that this service is available; you will have to ask for it.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Credit Card Fraud
A recent Wired magazine article made me think about credit cards and the possibility of theft and abuse.
Your credit (or debit/"check guarantee") card is an amazing thing; it allows you to buy things without using money. However, most people look at their credit cards as if they were pieces of plastic instead of being as good as cash.
It is possible these days for a waiter/waitress to pass your card through a miniature card reader, called a "skimmer," before they pass it through the point of sale machine. Skimming can happen anywhere; anyone you hand your card to can pass it through a reader in only a second or two.
The best way to avoid having your card "skimmed" is to not hand it to anyone, or, at the very least, watch the person you hand it to until they hand it back.
While is not possible everywhere, you should do it whenever possible.
The reason you should treat your credit/debit card as if it were cash is because criminals can make an exact copy of your card, and max it out, in less than a day.
It is always good policy to closely watch your statements when they come, because most credit card companies will forgive charges made with a stolen card IF you report them as soon as they are noticed.
Debit cards, however, do not have this same protection. Debit cards are hooked up to your bank account and if they are stolen, your bank account can be emptied in hours. This is why you should treat your cards, especially debit cards, as if they were cash.
Your credit (or debit/"check guarantee") card is an amazing thing; it allows you to buy things without using money. However, most people look at their credit cards as if they were pieces of plastic instead of being as good as cash.
It is possible these days for a waiter/waitress to pass your card through a miniature card reader, called a "skimmer," before they pass it through the point of sale machine. Skimming can happen anywhere; anyone you hand your card to can pass it through a reader in only a second or two.
The best way to avoid having your card "skimmed" is to not hand it to anyone, or, at the very least, watch the person you hand it to until they hand it back.
While is not possible everywhere, you should do it whenever possible.
The reason you should treat your credit/debit card as if it were cash is because criminals can make an exact copy of your card, and max it out, in less than a day.
It is always good policy to closely watch your statements when they come, because most credit card companies will forgive charges made with a stolen card IF you report them as soon as they are noticed.
Debit cards, however, do not have this same protection. Debit cards are hooked up to your bank account and if they are stolen, your bank account can be emptied in hours. This is why you should treat your cards, especially debit cards, as if they were cash.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Netbooks and Error Messages
Recently, a customer had a netbook that would not boot up; when he tried to re-install from restore disks, his netbook gave him a series of unusual error messages.
Because it looked like a problem with the restore disc, I tried several other discs that I knew were good, but I got the same results. After some more testing, I got a Blue Screen (of Death) whose error message, IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, I knew to be indicative of bad RAM. So, I replaced the RAM in the socket on the bottom of the netbook.
No change. Same error messages. I searched for a resolution on Google (the researchers friend) and all the results said 'RAM issue'. But I had changed the RAM. So what was going on?
As it turns out, most netbook computers have a secondary RAM socket underneath the keyboard.
I pried up the bezel above the keyboard where the power switch usually is, lifted up the keyboard, and opened up this secondary RAM socket and replaced that RAM with the RAM originally taken from the primary socket.
Problem solved. (Once I placed the cover back on the socket.) No more error messages!
Except for the one preventing Windows from booting. Which was taken care of in short order.
Because it looked like a problem with the restore disc, I tried several other discs that I knew were good, but I got the same results. After some more testing, I got a Blue Screen (of Death) whose error message, IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, I knew to be indicative of bad RAM. So, I replaced the RAM in the socket on the bottom of the netbook.
No change. Same error messages. I searched for a resolution on Google (the researchers friend) and all the results said 'RAM issue'. But I had changed the RAM. So what was going on?
As it turns out, most netbook computers have a secondary RAM socket underneath the keyboard.
I pried up the bezel above the keyboard where the power switch usually is, lifted up the keyboard, and opened up this secondary RAM socket and replaced that RAM with the RAM originally taken from the primary socket.
Problem solved. (Once I placed the cover back on the socket.) No more error messages!
Except for the one preventing Windows from booting. Which was taken care of in short order.
Friday, January 16, 2009
On Modems and Routers
Sometimes technology just doesnt work.
Most people in large cities and towns have some form of connection to the Internet. Quite a few of these have "broadband", which is a generic term for a fast connection to the Internet; accomplished by a DSL or cable modem.
Alot of people also have more than one computer, thus needing a way to connect all of them to the Internet easily; hence, the router.
Normally, once hooked up, the router and modem work just fine. But, when they dont, the usual fix is to unplug one or both of them and wait.
As it happens, if you have a non-standard or older modem, you have to wait longer. As was the case last night, a lot longer.
Then you plug the modem in first, and wait. A few minutes (or an hour) later, you plug in the router. A few minutes after that, you turn on the computer(s) that you had turned off previously when you unplugged everything else.
Then you wait a few more minutes for everything to load and settle down and decide whether it wants to work properly.
Then you either celebrate your good fortune, or you curse and reach for the phone to call a guy to come out and do the same thing.
Most people in large cities and towns have some form of connection to the Internet. Quite a few of these have "broadband", which is a generic term for a fast connection to the Internet; accomplished by a DSL or cable modem.
Alot of people also have more than one computer, thus needing a way to connect all of them to the Internet easily; hence, the router.
Normally, once hooked up, the router and modem work just fine. But, when they dont, the usual fix is to unplug one or both of them and wait.
As it happens, if you have a non-standard or older modem, you have to wait longer. As was the case last night, a lot longer.
Then you plug the modem in first, and wait. A few minutes (or an hour) later, you plug in the router. A few minutes after that, you turn on the computer(s) that you had turned off previously when you unplugged everything else.
Then you wait a few more minutes for everything to load and settle down and decide whether it wants to work properly.
Then you either celebrate your good fortune, or you curse and reach for the phone to call a guy to come out and do the same thing.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Network cables
You've heard the term "network cable" or "ethernet cable" before, but do you know what they are?
First off, the terms "Ethernet cable" and "network cable" are interchangeable. So if someone says to you "just go to the store and get an Ethernet cable" and everything is labeled "network cable", you'll know it is the same thing.
Secondly, there are two types and three varieties of Ethernet cables: Patch(also called "Internet") cables and crossover cables. Patch/Internet cables connect your computer to the high-speed modem; crossover cables connect one computer to another. These two type are NOT interchangeable.
With patch/Internet cables the three varieties are Category 5 (usually labeled as "cat5"), Cat 5e and Cat6. These labels refer to the type of wiring inside the cable itself.
Normally, you want Cat5e patch ("Internet") cable. If you need higher speed cable, look for Cat6 "Gigabit" cable.
Finally, a word about speed. Ethernet cables are rated for three levels of speed:
The oldest and slowest is 10Base-T, this isnt usually sold any more.
The next-newest is 10/100, which you can still buy.
The newest and fastest is Gigabit Ethernet, or 10/1000. Gigabit Ethernet is new enough that budget computers and pre-built computers more than 3 years old usually dont have it built in.
First off, the terms "Ethernet cable" and "network cable" are interchangeable. So if someone says to you "just go to the store and get an Ethernet cable" and everything is labeled "network cable", you'll know it is the same thing.
Secondly, there are two types and three varieties of Ethernet cables: Patch(also called "Internet") cables and crossover cables. Patch/Internet cables connect your computer to the high-speed modem; crossover cables connect one computer to another. These two type are NOT interchangeable.
With patch/Internet cables the three varieties are Category 5 (usually labeled as "cat5"), Cat 5e and Cat6. These labels refer to the type of wiring inside the cable itself.
Normally, you want Cat5e patch ("Internet") cable. If you need higher speed cable, look for Cat6 "Gigabit" cable.
Finally, a word about speed. Ethernet cables are rated for three levels of speed:
The oldest and slowest is 10Base-T, this isnt usually sold any more.
The next-newest is 10/100, which you can still buy.
The newest and fastest is Gigabit Ethernet, or 10/1000. Gigabit Ethernet is new enough that budget computers and pre-built computers more than 3 years old usually dont have it built in.
Monday, January 12, 2009
What is Windows 7?
Unless you are a computer geek, you probably have not heard about the newest version of Windows that is in development. This newest version is called Windows 7 (because it is the seventh actual version of Windows).
Since Vista has, relatively, just come out, a person might be excused for thinking 'Gee, isnt this new version coming out awfully quickly?' to which the answer is "no, not really."
Coming out relatively soon after Vista, you should know that Apple routinely puts out new versions of it OS 10 software for the Macintosh every 12 to 18 months; so the unusual part is that Microsoft waits 3 to 5 years between releases, and then expects everyone (businesses and households alike) to buy something entirely new.
Windows 7 looks alot like Vista, and, according to early tests, works alot like Vista but without the problems that plagued Vista when it first came out.
Does this new version of Windows matter? Do you need it, Will you need it?
Answers: Sort of, No and Maybe.
Windows 7 only matters in that it advances technology without forcing a hardware upgrade cycle like Vista did.
Needing it? If XP works for you now, and all you do is email, web surfing and Youtube, then you dont need it now(now meaning the beginning of next year, when it is scheduled for release).
Will you need it in the future? Yes, almost certainly. In the future when all things are possible, you will need the features Windows is promising. They will help you manage your photos, videos, all of the stuff you will be creating and storing.
In the somewhat more realistic future, Windows 7 will look prettier, be easier to manage and help you find all of your stuff faster... if Microsoft can do the one thing they've always promised but never done-
Deliver on their promises.
Since Vista has, relatively, just come out, a person might be excused for thinking 'Gee, isnt this new version coming out awfully quickly?' to which the answer is "no, not really."
Coming out relatively soon after Vista, you should know that Apple routinely puts out new versions of it OS 10 software for the Macintosh every 12 to 18 months; so the unusual part is that Microsoft waits 3 to 5 years between releases, and then expects everyone (businesses and households alike) to buy something entirely new.
Windows 7 looks alot like Vista, and, according to early tests, works alot like Vista but without the problems that plagued Vista when it first came out.
Does this new version of Windows matter? Do you need it, Will you need it?
Answers: Sort of, No and Maybe.
Windows 7 only matters in that it advances technology without forcing a hardware upgrade cycle like Vista did.
Needing it? If XP works for you now, and all you do is email, web surfing and Youtube, then you dont need it now(now meaning the beginning of next year, when it is scheduled for release).
Will you need it in the future? Yes, almost certainly. In the future when all things are possible, you will need the features Windows is promising. They will help you manage your photos, videos, all of the stuff you will be creating and storing.
In the somewhat more realistic future, Windows 7 will look prettier, be easier to manage and help you find all of your stuff faster... if Microsoft can do the one thing they've always promised but never done-
Deliver on their promises.
Friday, January 09, 2009
What Security Programs Should I Get?
It seems like every client I have asks this question. The answer depends on a couples of things:
What kind of Internet connection you have, and how often are you on the Internet/what do you do when you get there?
If you you have Dial-up, then any antivirus program you come across (except Windows Defender) will be enough security; I'd recommend AVG Free(http://free.avg.com).
If you have DSL or a Cable connection you need two types of programs all the time, and occasionally a third one for a couple of hours once a week(or once a month if you hardly use the Internet). The two types of programs you need all the time are antivirus and firewall. The third type is anti-spyware. If you arent using a firewall, then you will need the anti-spyware all the time.
So, which security program is the best? Does it have to be separate programs?
The answer to the second question is 'somtimes' and 'depends on the program you are using'.
If you are using a 'suite' (which is a combination of separate programs which are sold bundled together, like Microsoft Office) then no, all the security programs are installed and run as one program. If you are not using a 'suite', then yes, it has to be separate programs.
Which security program is the best? Currently, the 2 best are Norton 2009, which is available in standalone antivirus and as an Internet Security Suite, and Eset Nod32 antivirus; which is also available as standalone and suite. What is the difference between the two? Only price; Norton is the more expensive and Nod32 is only available from the Internet.
What would I recommend? Norton.
For anti-spyware, I'd recommend Webroot's Spy Sweeper.
What kind of Internet connection you have, and how often are you on the Internet/what do you do when you get there?
If you you have Dial-up, then any antivirus program you come across (except Windows Defender) will be enough security; I'd recommend AVG Free(http://free.avg.com).
If you have DSL or a Cable connection you need two types of programs all the time, and occasionally a third one for a couple of hours once a week(or once a month if you hardly use the Internet). The two types of programs you need all the time are antivirus and firewall. The third type is anti-spyware. If you arent using a firewall, then you will need the anti-spyware all the time.
So, which security program is the best? Does it have to be separate programs?
The answer to the second question is 'somtimes' and 'depends on the program you are using'.
If you are using a 'suite' (which is a combination of separate programs which are sold bundled together, like Microsoft Office) then no, all the security programs are installed and run as one program. If you are not using a 'suite', then yes, it has to be separate programs.
Which security program is the best? Currently, the 2 best are Norton 2009, which is available in standalone antivirus and as an Internet Security Suite, and Eset Nod32 antivirus; which is also available as standalone and suite. What is the difference between the two? Only price; Norton is the more expensive and Nod32 is only available from the Internet.
What would I recommend? Norton.
For anti-spyware, I'd recommend Webroot's Spy Sweeper.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Its a New Year
And I'm already falling down on my resolution to blog more this year.
So, let's get started.
The two biggest threats to your computer in 2009 I believe will be "WinAntivirus 2008/2009" and "Spyware Guard".
WinAntivirus has a shield icon that has the four Windows colors on it and pops up onto your desktop as soon as you turn on Windows. It will then look like it is scanning your hard drive and it will tell you that you have some number of dozens of infections and the only way to get rid of them is to buy WinAntivirus. If you do this, the makers of the virus will then charge your credit card account to its maximum limit.
WinAntivirus can be gotten rid of using anti-malware programs, but the best option is to have an effective anti-virus program already installed (and updated!).
Spyware Guard is relatively new, and harder to get rid of. It has a shield icon that is silver with a diagonal stripe. It does not pop up as you load the desktop; it waits until the user starts doing something and then pops up and says 'you are not protected; do you want to scan now?'. It will then scan and tell you to buy the program online, just like WinAntivirus, with the same end result.
I have found that Norton 2009 is the only program that successfully disninfects Spyware Guard from an infected computer.
So, let's get started.
The two biggest threats to your computer in 2009 I believe will be "WinAntivirus 2008/2009" and "Spyware Guard".
WinAntivirus has a shield icon that has the four Windows colors on it and pops up onto your desktop as soon as you turn on Windows. It will then look like it is scanning your hard drive and it will tell you that you have some number of dozens of infections and the only way to get rid of them is to buy WinAntivirus. If you do this, the makers of the virus will then charge your credit card account to its maximum limit.
WinAntivirus can be gotten rid of using anti-malware programs, but the best option is to have an effective anti-virus program already installed (and updated!).
Spyware Guard is relatively new, and harder to get rid of. It has a shield icon that is silver with a diagonal stripe. It does not pop up as you load the desktop; it waits until the user starts doing something and then pops up and says 'you are not protected; do you want to scan now?'. It will then scan and tell you to buy the program online, just like WinAntivirus, with the same end result.
I have found that Norton 2009 is the only program that successfully disninfects Spyware Guard from an infected computer.
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